Flying-boat hull



C. `'DE-LL.

FLYING BT HULL.

APPLicATloN FILED SEPT. i4. wi

Patentd 51111.11, 1921i` 4 4SHEETS-SHEET l.

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m, Ww @N www @w Nv CLAYTON E.BED:L.L

WC] H0141 e111 r UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE fj CLAYTON EMMETT :nnnnn or BUFFALO, NEW ,Yoan AssiGNoR To,y cinsv1is`snnnoi PLANE AND MOTOR CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF :NEWY.0RK. f. i

FLYING-BOAT HULL.

T 0 all 'whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, CLAYTON E. BEDELL, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flying-Boat Hulls, of which the following is a specification.

The hull. of my invention is an improvement over the flying boat hull disclosed in Patent No. 1,223,319, issued to Glenn H. Curtiss, `April 17, 1917. It relates generally to constructional details and contemplates changes which add to the efficiency of the craft, make for increased seaworthiness, better lines and decreased weight, and which lead to 'better hydroplaning behavior and less frictional resistance while hydroplaning.

Of the drawings:

Figure 1 is a` vertical longitudinal sectional view of the forepart of the hull;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of that portion of the hull illustrated in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the tail ortion of the hull, z'. c., a

continuation of. ig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of that portion of the hull illustrated in Fig. 3, e., a continuation of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a front end elevation; n Figs. 6, 7, and8 are transverse` sections taken respectively on the lines 6 6, 7-7 and 8-8 of Fig. 2, and y Fig. 9 is a further section taken on the line 9 9 of Fig. 1; y The hull or body of the craft maybe generally described as comprising afore body 10 and tail 11; a step 12 formed inthe hull bottom aifording a line of demarcation belfrom the extreme bow (which viewedv in plan is relatively sharp or pointed) and widen out perceptibly toward the step. I n cross section, kboth 1 transversely `and longi- Specicatiouof Letters Patent.

tudinally, the iins 17 are of substantially y Patented Jan. 4, 1921. y applicati@ filed september 14, 1917. serial No. 191,471.l f 1 streamline form.V Rearwardly they` terminate squarely in alinementwith said step.

The tail portion, unlike the fore body, is ofrelatively light construction. Its bot# tom 18 extends slightly upwardly andkrearwardly from -the step 12 tofavoid contact with the water when hydroplaning at speed thereon and to permit of foreand aft oscillation in'breaking fromthe water surface. The cross sectional area-of the tail uni' forinly decreases from rthefstep rearwardly to the stern. f i

Interiorly, the hull comprisestheusual keelson 19, floors 2O and frames 21.y The floors 20, in depth, from the bow aft ftoI a 'point approximately oney third of the dis# tance from the noseto the step, increase,

tion of their remaining'leng'th. Several yof these floors in the vicinity ofthe bowfeX- tend out laterally beyond-the chines of the hull to the margins of the fins. -That porp tion `of the hydroplaning lsurface* upon which landing impacts are'imposed iS `thus strengthened materially. Moreover, the angularity of the V-bottom at this particular Vand thence decrease gradually yfor affpor` 'A point is suchthat thefcontinuity ofthe y,

lioors beyond the chines'is "quite practical.

. Saidbotto'm 15, although generally ofthe conventional n V-form is characterized by-an improved'c'ross `sectional form inwhich the acuteness oftheV is :relatively marked ,in

-the vicinity of the keel line andpractically Anegligible throughout ,that portion *ofj ysaid ,f

bottom underlying the ns .f-Asfsaid vbottomv approaches the" step ktheacuteness.of

the y:V kbecomes Yless noticeable until in the vicinity ofthe step it makes a ysalient angle in cross section (see Fig. y7)'. "In other` words, where `the V'bottom is most acutef in the vicinity of the keel fits margins are" characterized'` by substantially horizontal latness and where said bottomfis least ff' ing is split andy directed y:laterally lin a K m`an` i ner ofl'eringvt'he least ftional `resistance' Vdue'to kskin friction. `Where the edges or margins ofl vthe bottom.overhung,;j z'. Je.,

dropped down below the horizontal plane f lmeans at a of the chines, considerable resistance would be offered by reason of the confinement of the deflected water within the concavities thus formed. The propellers are also thus protected from flying spray.

The keel 22 is made in two parts. The bow keel portion commences at the top of the hull to the rear of the bow end and extends forwardly beneath the deck 14 for a portion of its length to a point 23 where it is doubled back after a fashion common to this type of craft for continuation rearwardly beneath the several floors 2O to the step. The stern keel portion throughout its length is rectilinear and at its forward end let through the step floor for continuation beyond the rear end of the bow keel portion to which it is united by any suitable point forwardly of the step. That portion of the hydroplaning bottom adjacent to the step and about which the craft oscillates in breaking from the water is thus strengthened while the continuity of both the tail bottom and the hydroplaning bottom remains unbroken. At its rear end the stern keelportion is fastened to the stern post 24.

Chine stringers 25 interiorly brace the hull bottom and form with side stringers 26, fin hull side stringers 27 and iin edge stringere 28 a skeleton or framework around `which the hull is built. As before intimated, the floors 20, except such as lie in the vicinity of the bow end thereof terminate squarely in alinement with the stringers 25 to which they are mortised or appropriately fastened by other suitable means. ap-strips 29 underlie the floors 20 and extend beyond the iioor ends to the fin edge stringers 28. The extended portions of the cap-strips 29 are supported by fin floors 30 which constitute prolongations of the hull floors. This continuity of the cap-strips from the keel line to the iin edge stringers is such that the bottom planking, designated 31, is eifectually supported throughout. Said planking is two ply, one layer of planks extending diagonally outwardly and rearwardly from the keel at each side thereof and the other layer of planks longitudinally or fore and aft. The step floor 12 extends from iin edge stringer to fin edge stringer. Vlts depth is greatest in the vicinity of the keel and least toward its opposite ends. This variation in depth is symmetrical from the keel line and such that the rear iin edges have a thickness equal only to the depth or thickness of said Hoor. The chine stringers, where they intersect the step, are thickened as at 32 so that the step `floor may be let into them without weakenin the structure at this point.

ing beams 33 and 34 are built into the hull to constitute an intimate part thereof. The beamk 34 (the forward beam) passes transversely through the hull in a vertical plane forwardly removed from the vertical plane of the step and in a horizontal plane such that it may rest upon the side stringers 26. The beam 33 (the rear ,wing beam) unlike the forward bea-m, passes transversely through the hull in a plane beneath the plane of the side stringere and to the rear of the step. Both beams are vertically braced as at 35, the braces extending to the chine string-ers 25 and as at 36, the latter braces extending respectively fore and aft, along the hull sides in such manner that both beams are directly connected with the step block andwith the chine stringers at each side of the hull.

At the forward end and at the tail end of the hull the frames 2l are continuously curvilinear throughout and interconnect, by way of the hull sides and deck, the floor ends. Notches 37 are formed in said floor ends to receive the terminals of the frames, said terminals being inbent as at 38 to overlap the iioors and engage in said notches as illustrated in Fig. 6. Furthermore, the chine stringere 25 are provided with beveled edges 39 of such form that the bent ends 38 of the fra-mes 2l may contact flush therewith to prevent spreading of the frames. The intermediate frames are of a two part construction by reason of the formation of a. cockpit 40 and a hatch 41. The hatch covering I have designated as 42.

The extended ends of the wing beams 33 and 34 are inwardly braced as at 43 by diagonal braces. These braces form with a compression brace 44 a bridge truss of a construction constituting part and parcel of the hull. The braces, it will be noted, extend diagonally inwardly from the beam ends for connection with the compression brace which (see Fig. 7) passes through the hull for lateral extension beyond the hull sides. Said compression braces also function as bulkhead stiffeners in that their location is such 110 that the bulkheads 45, of which there are preferably five, are arranged, one beneath each beam, one in advance of the foremost beam and two aft of the beam 33. Openings 46 are formed in the foremost and 115 the two rearmost bulkheads.

Both the fin edge stringers and the chine stringers emanate from a common point at the extreme bow end of the hull and extend rearwardly in substantially the same 120 horizontal plane to the step. Toward the step end the fin edge stringere are inclined slightly upwardly in such manner that the angularity of the marginal portions of the hydroplaning bottom may be somewhat 125 more noticeable toward the rear than at the bow. Furthermore, an arm hole 47 is formed in the tail structure 11 adjacent its rear end that access may be gained to the tail interior for the proper anchorage of the 130 vertical stabilizer bra'ce (not shown) which in this model craft extends into the hull. Other features, Such as the forwardly and downwardly inclined brace 4:8, ventilator tube 49 and towline brace wiring 50 constin tute but details incidental to the completely assembled hull.

What is claimed is:

l. In a hull for flying boats, chine stringers2 fin eXcrescencies including fin edge stringers, floors arranged to extend respectively from chine Stringer to chine Stringer and from fin edge Stringer to fin edge Stringer, and fin-lioors interconnecting the chine stringers and fin edge stringers in substantial prolongation of the first men tioned floors, the arrangement of said floors being such that the continuous floors brace that portion of the hydroplaning bottom of the hull calculated to receive the full stress of landing impacts.

2. In a hull for iiying boats7 chine stringers, fin excrescencies including lin edge stringers outwardly and rearwardly curved from the eXtreme bow end of the hull, and floors continuous through the hull from -fin edge Stringer to iin edge Stringer in the vicinity of the bow end and from chine Stringer to chine Stringer aft thereof.

3. A hull for flying boats including a step-floor having an opening formed in it together with a keel let through said opening to continue beyond the floor without in* terrupting its continuity.

4. A hull for flying boats including a step-floor having an opening formed'in it, a bow keel portion arranged to abut Said floor and a stern keel portion let through said opening to overlap said bow keel portion, said keel portions together making a substantially salient angle.

5. In a hull for flying boats, iin eX- crescencies arranged to augment the bottom Surface of the hull, a step-floor continuous fromthe lateral margin of one fin to the lateral margin of the other,the depth of the floor decreasing symmetrically from its point of intersection with the keel line to its respective outer ends, and chine stringers of relatively increased thickness vat their points of intersection with said floor.

6. A hull for flying boats including a plurality of frames having their'ends inwardly bent to overlap the ends of corresponding floors, the floors being notched to receive said bent portions and by reason of their 8. In a hull for flying boats, chine stringers having their inside top edges beveled, frames having their ends inbent, and floors interconnecting said stringers to form therewith abutments for said inbent ends, said ends lying flush against kthe beveled edges of said stringers. e

9. In a hull for flying boats, fin` eXcrescencies arranged to augment the bottom surface of the hull, and a step-floor continuous from the lateral margin of` one fin to the lateral margin of the other, the depth of the floor decreasing symmetrically from its point of intersection with the keel line to its respective outer ends.

10. In a hull for flying boats, chine stringers, fin eXcrescencies including fin edge stringers and floors continuous from the keel line of the hull to ythe chine stringers and tothe .fin edge stringers respectively.

l1., In a hull for flying boats, an intermediately located transversely extending wing beam, a transverse bulk head underlying said beam, a combined bulk head stiifener and cross brace, and braces extended diagonally inwardly from the ends ofthe Wing beam for connection with the ends of the cross brace.

12. In a hullfor flying boats, opposed fin excrescencies projected laterallybeyond the Sides of the hull, a rearwardly facing step formed in the hull bottom7 astep floor continuous from the lateral margin of one fin to the lateral margin of the other,y the depth of the floor ldecreasing symmetrically.l from its point of intersection with the keel kline to its respective outer ends. i,

13. In a hull for flying boats, opposed fin eXcrescencies projecting laterally beyond the sides of the hull, a rearwardly facing step formed in the hull bottom, a step floor continuous from the lateral margin of one fin to the lateral margin of the other, and chine stringers of relatively increased thickness at their points of intersection with Said floor. f

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

CLAYTON EMMErT BEDELL. 

